Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Fantastic Fairy Cut: Expand Your Design and Cutting Capabilities Easily! AND Here is A Chance to WIN the program!

If you have been using a Cricut and have just basic knowledge of your computer (which I assume you do, since you are reading this blog!), you may be ready to venture into the world of creating your own images to cut using your electronic cutting machine.

By using some of the available software products with your Cricut, you are no longer limited to the images only available on cartridges. You won't have to buy any cartridges other than the first one that came with your machine. And once you learn the software, and link your computer by cable to your Cricut instead of (or in addition to) your printer, your scrapbooking cuts are limited only by your imagination and your time.

For about a year or so now, I have been using, first, Sure Cuts A Lot ... and then Make The Cut. Both were relatively simple to use and have pros and cons. NOW I've discovered "Fairy Cut" software designed with Cricut users in mind. I first saw it mentioned on a European scrapbooking website; intrigued, I sent an e-mail to Fairy Cut offering to use it and review it here for you. My e-mail was promptly answered ... wow! ... I downloaded Fairy Cut, and within 5 minutes I was cutting my first card, and posted it to my Valentine's Day Cards Blog Hop! The cards I am showing here are the cards I made one morning, from scratch to finish -- including learning the software -- in less than 4 hours.

My honest opinion is that FAIRY CUT is the easiest-to-use, intuitive programs of all the Cricut cutting software available on the market today.I've used them all and prefer Fairy Cut. Fairy Cut is compatible with the Cricut Personal, Cricut Create, and Cricut Expression; it is not yet compatible with Cricut Imagine but (and here's a BIG plus for me), Fairy Cut has incorporated a Print and Cut feature, with and without crop marks, so you can easily use your regular printer and Cricut cutter without having to invest in a Cricut Imagine or its expensive cartridges!Fairy Cut's program is built on same "platform" as the software used with professional graphic programs like those that run Pazzles Inspiration and Bosscut Studio. It imports .wpc and .pdf images alike. And it has a "freehand" design feature, correction tools, and a library of images that make creating unique images EASILY a snap. REALLY!!

Here's another plus: Fairy Cut's tutorial videos are some of the best out there. You can access them via http://www.fairycut.com/, or through YouTube (Search: Fairy Cut Software).On my blog here, I've posted on a separate page my favorite Fairy Cut video; you can find it by going to the top right corner of my blog where it says "Requested Tutorials". The second one down is the YouTube link to the video that shows how to make a card with lattice patterns. Truly very easy to follow.

Another Fantabulous Asset: My NEXT favorite thing that Fairy Cut has done is provided a full PDF version of its training manual. You can download the manual by clicking the Fairy Cut logo at the top of this blogpost. It's 70 pages ... very detailed with lots of illustrations that are very easy to follow. It's a terrific reference tool to this VERY powerful program that allows the inner creative Goddess (or Fairy!) come out in each of us.And LASTLY ... I always save the best for last! ... Fairy Cut has given me one free software license (a $99 value) to give away to one of my loyal followers!

TO WIN this great blog candy:1. Submit a comment to this post, answering this question: What image would you most like to cut that you haven't found on a Cricut cartridge?...and...

2. Be or become a follower to this CardMonkey blogsite. I plan on making my FairyCut cards a regular feature on Fridays -- "Fairy Cut Fridays" ... and I hope it will be interesting and intriguing to you. Come along with me while I uncover all of the possibilities in this great new software. One follower will be chosen at random by Fairy Cut, using Random.org, on Monday, January 31, so please leave your comment not later than Sunday 1/30 at midnight Eastern Standard Time. Winner will be announced here and contacted via e-mail to access your License Number and Access Code at Fairy Cut. THANK YOU to William Rodier at Fairy Cut for making this gift available to one of my followers, and for providing me my copy of the program so I could use and review it for you. Guillaume, j'adore ce logiciel!

34 comments:

Woohoooooo,I want a dragonand a wizard together but haven't got any of the carts that have either one. I would love to win one of these.Thanks Ellen for bringing this to us. Debbiehttp://craftywizard.blogspot.comdebbie_craine at hotmail dot com

Your cards are great. I wanted to try the Fairy Cut, as I have Sure Cuts A Lot. The price was what made me go with Sure Cuts A Lot. I hope one day to try Fairy Cut, hopefully the price will come down. I would love to make my own football emblems as I am a great Steelers fan. Dont see much for those kinds of designs.

I am a devotee of CardMonkey and check out your blog twice a day. If I were to win FairyCut, I would use it to search for, design and cut more Jewish-themed images, because right now, there are only FOUR images on ALL of the Cricut cartridges. I would also like FairyCut to please make a version compatible with Mac. Thank you!

Cute cards...really like the heart tree. Great giveaway and would love to try. I would love to see more sports items; especially from the Packers. It would be great to have cuts especially with the Super Bowl coming up and be able to do it for our Super Bowl party.lfuchs1 at wi. rr. com

Wow, this would be fantastic to be able to design your own cuts!! I would like to do silhouette cuts of my grandbabies, I've seen this done but not sure how they did it!! ThanksCindymiller896042 at bellsouth dot net

Wow, beautiful cards. This is the first I've heard of this program and I'm intrigued. I have SCAL and really only used it a few times just because it took so long to make files I wanted. Would love to try out dog silhouettes like my shiba's and aussie.

great cards! What an awesome giveaway! I would love to try this! I never wanted to get one of the other programs because they sound difficult to use. You made this sound really easy! I would love to cut out cute kitty cats with my cricut - I love the cat silhouettes!www.craftycardgallery.blogspot.com

I'd probably first have to cut out that Valentine's Tree you have- LOVE it. :) After that, my husband would probably give me a constant list of PSU and Steelers images/sizes he'd need cut. I think I'd have to teach him to do his own.

I have been a follower of yours for awhile...love your work! Cannot believe the snow at your house! Wow! I would LOVE to be able to cut college logos and slogans. My son graduated from Texas A&M University and I cannot find any decent die cuts! I would love the chance to win!Shereecravinscrappin.blogspot.com

Wow, Fairy Cuts sounds amazing. I would use it to cut things out for my church and Sunday school class. Dora the Explorer and Diego and Shrek....ooh the possibilities are endless. Thanks so much for a chance to win. I really enjoy following your blog.

Fairy Cut sounds really interesting. I've never tried the other two brands, but if Fairy Cut is as good as you say it is.... well, it sounds like a good investment. There are all kinds of cuts that I think I would make. Right now I need a Musk Ox and in the feature I'll need all kinds of African Safari cuts.Thanks for the information!reneeleeak at yahoo dot com

I just downloaded the trial software, and would love to win a copy, I just became a follower too, I am looking forward to your Fairy Cut Fridays. I would like to find a cut for the Evil Queen from Snow White, along with NFL logos

Wow, this is exciting news! I have SCAL but I don't use it very much because it tends to crash a lot and quite honestly I don't know how to use it very well. I would love to try a new program that is easier to understand and offers a library of images. I will go over and check the site out. I would like to have more tree and bird images (I know sounds weird). I am already a "happy" follower and enjoy your blog and projects! AJqueenofmynest(at)gmail(dot)com

I just found your blog while blog hopping and I am your newest follower! This program sounds amazing! I have wanted to create golf related items but have not had much luck finding exactly what I am looking for! Thanks for the chance!abusybee24atcoxdot

Wow great program. I hope to try it soon! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be able to cut images of Lego "figures" and Lego font! My step son is OBSESSED with legos and got sooo many for Christmas so I'd love to be able to add those elements to my pages!!scrappincrafter at hotmail dot com

I am new to Cricut and I have the gypsy and MTC software. I would cut more animals besides the ones on the critter cartridge. They are cute but I would also like different types. Thanks for the chance to win. annadowdy at gmail dot com

This is interesting... I'm a SCAL user, but would love to try out other things, too. I personally had the choice, I'd like see a lot more things in 3D, especially pop-up cards. Thanks for the opportunity to win!thienly dot azim at gmail dot com

I coach a Special Olympics team and would love to be able to create our Team Logo to use on signs, banners, cards, flyers, etc... I love my Cricut and Gypsy and have been trying to decide which software program to try... now you just helped make my decision!

HiI have come across your blog through FairyCuts, I have used the demo of SCAL and MTC, and of course Fairycuts. It seems the only one to import digi images as jpegs without going through another program or having to change it to an svg file, at the moment I think it's the best of all of them, what's holding me back from buying? I can't get the print and cut to match up!!! when printing. I need more practice, everything was great and the tutorials are really good, plenty of pause and go and voila. :)

Faitha, print/cut IS a matter of practice but it can be done and I THINK that's a feature that is unique to Fairy Cut -- unavailable on MTC or SCAL? I don't use that feature much, but it is nice to have it when needed rather than having to "fussy cut" printed images. Good luck and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

I have been reviewing all the tube videos containing this software and so far I want it!! I have sure cuts a lot version 2 and love it. But after seeing what this can do, especially the ability to import color image, trace that image then cut it all within the same software is a dream come true. I was contemplating buying cricut imagen machine but now I am definitely purchasing this software for mother days! I can't wait to get it